The use of a cable or string to link the various members of the segmented body of a toy snake or the like is well known in the prior art. With a cable at the core the body is quite flexible and manipulation causes the toy to wriggle and simulate the motion of a live snake or other animal.
The following patent references would appear to be germaine to the patentability of the present device:
______________________________________ 2,241,576 Barton 3,050,902 Glass et al 2,453,646 Tomlin 3,203,285 Schmidt 2,853,831 Bischoff 3,410,023 Anello ______________________________________
Barton, Tomlin et al, and Bischoff all teach the use of a string or a cable in conjunction with a segmented body to simulate life-like motion. Tomlin et al teaches the use of a plurality of strings in conjunction with a string to draw tension and maintain the segmented toy in an erect posture until the tension is relieved by manipulation of the string and the toy takes on various postures. Likewise, Barton employs a series of strings when manipulated by hand cause the segmented body of the toy snake to move accordingly. Schmidt uses a cable with a threaded tensioner as the structural core of a segmented wrench handle that assumes various arcs in order to reach inaccessible nuts or bolts. The other references cited further delineate the state of the art.
The present device also uses a segmented core in conjunction with a cable, but in comparison a lever device that latches to maintain cable tension is disguised in the head of the body and when the tension is drawn the body becomes rigid and rectilinear and assumes the form of a walking stick or cane. When the cable tension is released the elastic skin covering the segmented body returns the device to a coiled snake-like posture because of a memory wired into the elastic membrane during its application to the segmented core. Other distinguishing characteristics will become evident when considering further the details of the present invention.